Bear Lake Trail

[Keith W]

Date: Aug. 29, 2009

Location: The put-in for the Bear Lake Canoe Trail is located about 1.75 miles north of Flamingo, at the end of the Bear Lake Road, which parallels the Buttonwoood Canal. There is a parking area at the end of the road, and it's a short drive west to the dock at the put-in. The Trail can be also be reached by boat from Buttonwood Canal by landing at the dock on the canal, and then portaging about 250 yards to the put-in.

Condition: Bear lake Trail is now clear and passable for it's entire length out to Bear Lake, about 1.6 miles, The Homestead Canal beyond Bear Lake is still blocked by storm debris, and this will be the next stage of the ongoing clearing project. Please note that the gate to the Bear Lake Road is normally locked during the off-seaon, and the road is currently in very poor condition. The Park service usually mows the roadside and fills in the worst of the potholes at the start of the fall season.

[Amazon Bill]

Yakmaster, thanks for the tip.  Tom said they are organizing teams for the project. Information will be posted on the EEN website in a day or two.

[0hmgywazkroze]

hey, is the gate open yet?

[Gary M]

The gate was open on Friday Dec 23 2011.  But I'd call the Park before you plan... I thought they were open earlier this year but was locked out the last time I tried to go.

[0hmgywazkroze]

thanks, gary

[Terry]

Homestead Canal - The Inland Route to East Cape.

Saturday 18 January

07:00 at the Bear Lake parking lot

GladesGoDeep is going to end all mystic about this

"impassable" brochure trail.   The team as of 12 January:

Kayak Jay

Canoe Bill

Canoe Terry

Get on the manifest this will definitely be an event.

Aside from helping Tom between the parking lot and

Bear Lake by walking, it's been 28 years since

I canoed that ditch.

[Jay]

OK - I'll bring a Kayak.

[yakmaster]

Y'all have a good time squeezing through the mud & shallows, getting to more mud & shallows.

 

I'll be houseboatin' up Robert's River with the Buckleys. Livin' large on the barge...

 

Even got the Mrs. to buy in for her annual wilderness inoculation.

 

Looks like it's going to be a spectacular weekend!
 
Terry said:

Homestead Canal - The Inland Route to East Cape.

Saturday 18 January

07:00 at the Bear Lake parking lot

GladesGoDeep is going to end all mystic about this

"impassable" brochure trail.   The team as of 12 January:

Kayak Jay

Canoe Bill

Canoe Terry

Get on the manifest this will definitely be an event.

Aside from helping Tom between the parking lot and

Bear Lake by walking, it's been 28 years since

I canoed that ditch.

[Amazon Bill]

I'm confirmed. Solo so far. I may stay in Flamigo Friday night.  I will have a VFH radio. What channel should we make contact? 

[Terry]

I never had a VHF, don't have a cell phone either.

Saturday 18 January - The Definitive Probe of the Homestead Canal

07:00 at the Bear Lake parking lot

Post to get on the manifest.

[Jay]

I'll bring my VHF Bill.  68 would be good.

For all - this is a guide for channel usage.http://wireless.fcc.gov/marine/vhfchanl.pdf  16 is always good to monitor for vessels in distress and to hail another vessels.  Once hailed - move to the appropriate working channel - in our case a non-commercial assignment.

[M.A.P.]

Looks like you'll have nice cool weather for your labors. I'm already booked for a tour of the Nike Missile site with a group from Fairchild Tropical Gardens, but had planned to mosey out to Bear Lake afterward. Maybe I'll see you guys.

Last time I was there, about  a year ago, the litterbug fishermen were just leaving. They left fishing line & hooks wrapped around rocks and trees, beer bottles, broken glass, a plastic cooler, etc. To call them pigs would be an insult to swine everywhere. I carried out a Home Depot bucketload of trash. 

Sadly, there are similar scenes in Matheson Hammock & Hardy Matheson Preserve. A manager at the latter site told me the fishermen come in at night and burn the young trees that were planted in restoration efforts - apparently to keep the mosquitos away. They leave trash and monofilament line strewn all over.

But I digress. Good luck and thank you for your efforts, gentlemen.

[Terry]

Finally it looks like we're going to get get some winter and perfect paddling weather.

Saturday 18 January, 07:00, Bear Lake parking lot.